Switch



Sept. 9 1924.- 1,508,148

C. AALBORG SWITCH Filed Feb. 19 1921 INVENTOR I ATTORNEY 4 ateted lept. ld.

f none, or Pirrsnunenq, Pnnnsrrivam, Assrenonurcv wns'rmcjnousn nnnc'inrc -ananurac'runme' commer, a conronarron or erinnern- SWITCH.

appiic'ation sied February 1e, 1921 serial No. 446,258.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN AALBoRo, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State 'of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches,

of which the follo'wm'g'isa specification. L My invention relates to switches and particularly to single or double-throw-knifeblade switchssuch as are commonly employed on structures orconnecting terminalsof high-tension circuits.

Switches of thisvv type are usually devoid of operating handles and are providedwith eyelets or various forms vof latches adapted to be engaged by e' hook-stick or operating rod for moving the switch blade in and out of contact with .,tliel'jews. In service, such switches are infrequently operated and remain in closed osition for ong periods of time, during w 'ch interval, due to oxidation and corrosion of the Contactin mem- 4 bers, the bladeslbecome fastened wit in the jaws withsuch security that. it becomes neoessary to pry them therefrom by suitable instruments, it bein frequently impossible to dislodge them quic y by using the hook- -stick in the .usual manner. einer ency, serious damage may result to 3o machinery, or the life of an operator may be endangered, by reason of the sticking of the blade within the switch jaws when it 1s necessa to quickly open the circuit.

One o ject of this invention is to rovide 35. a switch lwherein the use of a hoo v-stic in 'theusualmanner causes the blade rst to be positively pried loose from the jaws by the o erating lever, 'after which operation the bliide maybe entirely withdrawn from 40 the jaws with little eort.

Another object is to provide a switch having the above characteristics wherein the latch mechanism employed is of simple,

compact and inexpensive construction and wherein vital elementsl are protected from contact with foreign objects. l Y Another object is to provide a doublethrow switch wherein se' arate rlatching levers engage lseparate late es and wherein the latch levers are counterparts and, tilerefore, interchangeable. A further object is to provide a switchlatchng mechanism employing' a' n'iinimuni number of moving parte, the action of which lof, with the position of the izo-operating .lever indicated in dot-anddash lines.

In cases of Vthe art and .it isalso a matter of coen is positive under severe outdoor conditions'. A further object is to provide a .switch latch designed primarily for double-throw switches, which is inexpensive and may be used for single-throw switches without necessitating any change in design.

'These and other objects are attained byv means of switch apparatus .embodying the features herein describedl and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a art hereof, wherein ig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved switch apparatus, showing the blade 1n two operative positions.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the operating levers showin them in assembled relation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of the operating levers showing the inner side there- IReferring' to the drawing, the switch includes pivot-jaw member 5 and two pairs of. contact jaws 6 and 7,. all of which are supported upon insulated bases yor pedestals l8 which are `preferably secured toa switch base 9. The pivot clip 5 is provided with a 80 terminal 10 which, for the vpurposeof illustration, may b'e considered as connected to Va bus-bar receiving current from a generator (not shown). The contact jaws 6 and l7 are provided with terminals 11 and 12, respectively, which it will be assumed, are connected to leads of two separate service circuits.

The service circuits are adapted to be separately connected to the bus-bar by means of a knife-switch 'blade 13 which is pivoted tor the pivot jaw 5 and is adaptedto be swung into operative engagement with the contact jaws 6, as shown in ull lines of Fig. il, or into o erative engagement with the contact jaws as indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1. The jaws 6 and 7 are of theV split or jaw'type well known in. they art in which a pair of contact strips are held in. sy aced relation and .so ali ed with the b ade as .to receive the blade in the spec/'e between theni and make snug Contact therewith. i Switches et this type are well lmown in ldd experience ,that the blades thereof become so corroded et the points of contact as toi caus'efthe blades to stick within thejjaws and lil dll

and, therefore, interchangeable, thel former being pivoted, as shown in Fig. 1, on the far side of the blade and the latter upon the near side thereof. l

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, each lever includes aside portion 18 having a marginal harige 19 extend entirely anound the periphery thereoie and having a section 20 of greater depth than the dan e 19 adapted to extend over the end of to switch blade which lies in the space 21 between the tlanges 19. 'lhe dange portion 20 is rovided with a re-entrant lip1 or stop 22, w ich lies adjacent the end 23 t ig. 1 ot the drawing) and is adapted to engage the blade to limit the movement ot the lever with respect thereto when the lever is moved to nnlatched position dering the opening operation ot the bla/de,

The lever is also provided with an inwardly extending lng 2t which engagesthe end 23 of the blade 13 during the movementl ot the lever in the direction tending to move it into latching position with a stationary latch member to be hereinafter described., The lever is rovided with a pivot hole 25 through'which the pivot stads are inserted in assembling the lever upon the blade, and the dange 19 is provide with a latch recom 25 having` latch-engaging tace or tooth 26 so positioned with res ect to the pivot stud that, when the hook 2 is engaged by the heele-stick9 and the lever 1t 1s rotated in a 'clockwise direction, the tooth rotates similarly in direction away om the end et the switch blade, Y

Referring to Fig. 1, each ot the jaws 6 and 7 is provided with stationary latch members 28 and 29 which,l es shown, are riveted to the j aw base. These latches may be made as integral parts ot the jaws and, tor the purpose of the claims oi this specihcation, may be considered as parts thereof or as separate stationary latch members. The latch members 28 and 22 are so disposed that they lie in planes on opposite sides of the bla e and 'engage the levers 142 and 15, respectively when the blade ismoved into the news o 7, respectively, latch memer is provided with a recess 30 adapted to receive the tooth '2o of its respective opereting lovery so that the said tooth interlochs recense so roimdedat 32, adjacent the tree end thereof, that it will move over a similarly rounded edge 33 on the co-operafnng,f latch member in such manner that the latch lever willbe so retracted as to clear the latch member when the blade y13 is moved into operative relation with the Contact llhe latch or operating levers 1d and 15 are normally held in the osition indicated in Fig. 1 by means of a elical spring 34:, one end of which is attached to the ilange 20 of one lever, while the other end is attached to a similar dange on the other member. rl`he spring lies within the space between the levers and is protected against a hook-stick were inserted in the hoch 27 "i ot the lever 1t and drawn outwardly in a direction tendineF to withdraw the blade trom the jaws 6, the lever 1t would pivot upon the stud 16 and so move with relation to the blade as to disengage the teeth 31 and 26 of the latch member and lever, respectively.

The movement of the lever lll, with respect to the blade, is limited, however, by contact of the stop 22 with the end 23 of the blade and, when the stop 22 engages the end of the blade, the pull ot the hook-stick is transmitted directly to the blade. As the latch lever is withdrawn at the time from the Alatch member, the blade is automatically released and may be withdrawn from the jaws, but, as has been previously pointed out, the blade frequently becomes so tightly mtened between the jaws that a direct pull on the lever 14lD that would not injure it, would not be sutlicient to start the movement of the blade.,

ll have, therefore, provided each olf the levers 1d and 15 with a projection 35 that is adapted, when the lever is in latched position, to abut the extreme end ot the latch member with which it cooperates in such manner that, when the lever is pulled in a direction tending1 to withdraw the blade, the l projection 35 will fulcrum on the lends ot its respective latch member and positively pry the blade outwardly and' loosen it trom the jaw by force and leverage greater than could possibly be exerted b a direct pull et the hook-stick that wou d not injure the lever or latch.

llt will be seen from the foregoing that, when a blade is stuclf: within the jaws, the

with similarvtooth on the latchmember, niet unlocking movement of the operating 'lhe notched side or the member is levers, relative to bladatorees the 'blade lZE loose from thejaws, after which operation, the blade may be withdrawn with ease by pulling on the hook-stick in the proper a portion of the jaw structure, it is obvious invention.

that it may be mounted in any convenient manner and may be incorporated in the jaw strips, and that the lever could fulcruinupon anyy stationary member, not necessarily a part of the latch member, which might be joined to the jawsmr baindependentw'thereof, without departing from the spirit of my `While I have described and illustrated but one embodiment of m invention, it will be apparent to those skil ed inthe art that various chan s, modifications, substitutions, additions an omissions may be made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth by the appended claims. j

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a switch blade and contact jaws therefor, of a stationary member, and an operating handle for the blade movably mounted thereon and provided with a portion that engages the stationary member to move the blade with respect to the jaws when the handle is moved with respect to the blade in a direction tending to move the blade out of the jaws.

2. The combination with a switch blade and contact jaws therefor, of a member associated with said contact jaws, and an operating lever for the blade movably mounted thereon and provided with a portion that engages said member to move the blade with respect to said jaws when the lever is moved with respect to the blade.

3. The combination with a switch blade and contact 'jaws therefor, of an operating lever for the blade movably mounted thereon and having an engaging portion that is locked relatively to the jaws when the blade is moved into operative position therein and which has means that move the blade vwith respect to the jaws when the lever is moved with respect to the blade.

4. The combination with a switch blade and contact jaws therefor, of an operating lever for the blade movably mounted thereon and having a ortion that'nutomatically locks relative to t e jaws when the blade is moved into operative engagement withthe jaws and which `has a portion that moves the blade with resectI to said j awswhen the lever is moved wi respect. to the blade and out of locked relation with the jaws. f

5. The combination with a switch blade and twocontact jaws mounted for separate enga ement by the blade, ofl a stationary mem r mounted adjacent to each contact jaw and a pair of operating leversl pivoted to the blade for separately automatically engaging the stationary members when the blade is lmoved into operative vengagement with the contact jaws .for retaining the Vswitch blade in contact therewith, the said leversV being provided with a portion cooperating with the stationary members to move the blade withrespect to said contact jaws when that lever which engages one of the said-stationary members is moved with respect to the blade.

6. A. switch comprising a pivot jaw memher, a switch bladepivoted to the jaw memwith means that automatically interlocks with a member on one of the pairs of jaws when the'blade is moved into operative engagement therewith, Ayielding means con-1l necting the levers to normali hold them in a predetermined position wit respect to the blade, and cam means on one of the levers for imparting a starting movement to the v 'blade when the lever is `being moved with yrespect 'to the blade.

l?. The combination with -avswitch blade and vcontact jaws therefor, of any operati-ngv l lever for moving the blade bodily and having a pivotal connection therewith, 'whereby' the lever may be moved hout imparting movement to the blade, and means co-operatv ing with the said lever when the blade is vin operative engagement with the jaws whereby the blade-is caused to be moved with respect to the jaws whenv the said lever is moved wit-h respect to the blade. i

ico

8. The combination lwith a switch blade, a pali' of cont/act jaws and. a latch member,

of an operating lever for the blade, movably mounted thereon and provided with means thatY co-o crates with the latch. member to hold the lade in operative relation tol the jawsv and with means that engages a fixed portion of the switch to move the blade with res ect to the jaws when the lever is moved wit respect to the blade.

9. The combination with a switch blade means, of an operating lever for the blade movably mounted thereon and having a nortion thatl cci-operates 'with the latc ing means to lmove the blade with respect to the jaws when the lever is moved with respect to the blade.

l0. In combination, in an electric switch, a switch blade pivotally supported adjacent tov its one end and having its free end adaptto rictionally engage' a stationary contact m and an operating lever lpiv otedon the biede intermediate its ends end having e portion thereof adapted to enefege a xed member to force the blade out oir enpivotaliy supported adjacent to its one endl and ila-ving its other end adapted to :'rietilonelly engage the stationery contact mero ber, e oem member pivotaiiy supported on.

the biede member, and a, fixed member in l position to be engaged by the cem member when said member is rotated on itev fifot9 whereby the blade maybe forced out of en- @agement with the stationary Contact mem- 12. "in en electric switch, tbe combin'etimri meme-e with a? stationeryv Contact member, e movable contact member ivoted edjecent to its one end and, at its ot er end, adapted to engage the stationary Contact member, and en og)-v ereting ever pivotaiiy supported on the move-bie' contact member, said operating lever being pivoted intermeietelits ends and having one end adapted to eect e cemming engagement with e xed member endl its other enit serving es e handle whereby tbe said opeeting iever may be :rotated about its pivot to 'force the -rnovable Contact member out of engagement with the said stotionary Contact membem l'n testimony whereof, 3i have hereunto subscribed my neme this 15th dey of February7 f.

CHRSTEAN AALBRG 

